2012年9月27日木曜日

Ozzie Guillen Might Not Get Another Chance to Manage If the Marlins Fire Him

Ozzie Guillen is going to be fired as the Miami Marlins manager. This author has no inside knowledge, but the rate that Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria gets rid of his skippers makes it clear that Guillen's days are numbered.

The results on the field have been horrific and the team is ending the season with a whimper. The September 26th 3-0 defeat in Atlanta was the team's 90th loss.

For a team that had World Series aspirations, a 90-loss season is inexcusable.

Guillen was quoted as saying "ask why so many bleeping managers come through here."

He did not say bleeping. He also did not stop there. He threw the general manager under the bus, his coaches, the players and then himself.

"When you are in last place you need a better manager, better general manager, better owner and better everything."

No word if he feels they need a better statue with dancing marlins in left center field.

Joe Girardi lost his job as Marlins manager right after winning National League Manager of the Year because he clashed with Loria.

Fredi Gonzalez put a winning product on the field with a pitiful payroll and was shown the door. He's in the opposing dugout in Atlanta with his team postseason bound.

If they could be let go despite success with small payrolls, what chance does Guillen have? The Marlins' debutante ball turned into a garage sale by the end of July.

And if Guillen is let go, what other club will take a chance on him?

When Guillen was putting a winning product on the field in Chicago, his antics were charming, colorful and refreshingly candid. He was also unorthodox, but that meant little as he was the only man to manage a world champion in Chicago in the last 95 years.

But remove the winning and he is a loud mouth who does not have a filter. He will say things that get local Cubans mad, get the team wound up and anger the owner.

Do that and win 90 games and it is fun.

Do that and lose 90 games and you might not be worth the trouble.

There are potential managerial openings that will pop open this off season. Normally a high profile manager with a World Series title and another division title would be an attractive candidate.

But with more and more teams being driven by the general manager today, fewer and fewer teams would see the benefits of Ozzie's style.

Billy Martin was wilder and crazier than Guillen. But he kept getting hired because the teams he managed got better when he arrived.

If the Marlins were a winner in 2012, then Guillen would have jobs lined up for him when the inevitable clash with Loria would occur.

If he leaves a loser, it might be the end of his managing career.

That would be too bad. Baseball is a little more fun with Ozzie Guillen in the dugout. But you need to win to keep getting work if you are a big personality.